My daily life of exorcising demons and falling in love with a witch.

This is a question worth pondering.

Yi Xing couldn't help but fall into focused thought.

The areas that Erina found a little uncomfortable have now returned to normal.

The young lady couldn't help but chuckle to herself. From this angle, Yixing wouldn't notice.

However, she could never have imagined what caused this change.

The young lady could never guess what Yixing was thinking when he suddenly calmed down.

Willpower alone cannot restore certain things to normal.

It requires some indescribable imagination.

Imagining the young lady with a shaved head is one approach.

Imagine all the dough balls in your house as two-meter-tall hunks with eighteen-pack abs, and start wrestling with them every day when they're not home—that's one way to think about it.

What Yixing is most afraid of is that if he imagines this kind of thing too much, he will also get excited.

Fortunately, there have been no such signs so far.

He could always transform into a great sage the moment he imagined such a grotesque scene, remaining unmoved by any temptation.

A quarter of an hour passed quickly.

The car drove up the slope. Even without cherry blossoms, the scenery was still incredibly beautiful.

Its only problem is that it's a bit long.

Yi Xing believes that students who walk to school here definitely don't need to worry about their physical condition.

Climbing so many hills every day is basically enough, even without doing any other exercise.

What he's a little worried about now is whether Erina will be unable to climb slopes in the future and will keep asking him to carry her up.

"Miss, this slope is quite long. We'll definitely have to come to school by ourselves from now on; we can't keep troubling Yusuke and the others."

"Of course! I don't want Murayama to drive me there! The commute to and from school is the most fun part. Taking the bus straight home is too boring!"

Erina was lost in her fantasy, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

"I've been fantasizing about this so many times! After school, we'll go to club activities! After the activities, we'll eat dessert and wander around on the way home! When we finally get home, as soon as I open the door, Yoshiaki will welcome me back, give me slippers, and gently ask if I want to take a shower first, eat first, or... "

"First what?"

"Of course, we'll play games first!"

Damn it, I knew it!

Yi Xing wiped his sweat and complained, "Miss, at least use your brain before you speak. We're going home together, aren't we? So why should I welcome you back when you open the door?"

"Ah, right." Erina looked disappointed. "It seems that if I want to experience this feeling, I'll have to let Yoshiyuki go back first. My friend and I will wander around outside for a while!"

"Miss, I can't leave your side once you leave school," Yixing reminded her helplessly.

"Hmph, what a hassle! I know." Erina looked out the window and complained, "This slope is really too long... Yoshiyuki has to carry me up it every day, it must be so tiring."

"No way, Master! You haven't even climbed it once, and you're already thinking about making me carry you?!" Yixing was startled and immediately tentatively suggested, "How about you try climbing it every day? Consider it exercise."

"Hmph. No way! It's fine to exercise occasionally, but climbing every day is too tiring," Erina complained. "You can carry me on your back. A hug is fine too!"

"Oh, but..."

"What, you scumbag servant, you don't want this?! You're so ungrateful!" Erina snorted and smacked Yoshiyuki on the head with a dumpling. "It's your honor to be hugged by a delicate and adorable girl like me! Hurry up and thank me! Others wouldn't even have the chance to be hugged!"

"Master, at least try walking by yourself, okay? I'll carry you if you can't walk anymore." Yoshiyuki thought for a moment and found a perfect angle to persuade Erina: "Haven't you always wanted to live the life of a normal high school student? Then climbing hills on your own two legs like your classmates is necessary, isn't it? It's a kind of ritual."

"Oh..." Erina seemed hesitant and confused by his words. "Is...that so?"

"Of course." Yoshiyuki ruffled her hair like he was petting a Samoyed and said with satisfaction, "You've come all this way to Sakurajima Academy, what's the difference between this and going to a regular school if you don't climb a hill?"

The car stopped in the parking lot outside the school. Except for Masao Murayama, who was waiting there, the other three got out of the car and walked towards Sakurajima Academy, whose gates were wide open.

Yi Xing noticed that the outdoor parking lot was quite small due to limited space. However, there was an entrance to an underground parking lot nearby, so there was no need to worry about not having a parking space.

You can already see the playground in the distance from here, where many students are playing soccer and baseball.

It's probably a sports club.

Yoshiyuki had heard that Sakurajima Academy's school teams were doing well in many sports, so they probably came to the school to train frequently during the holidays in preparation for the competition.

Around the school gate, you can already see the Hatsuyuki Shrine and the tall, sturdy cherry blossom trees not far away—they bloom all year round, regardless of the season, and they also wither all year round.

Cherry blossoms fall petal by petal, and new flowers keep growing.

The cycle of life and death never ends.

The stone path leading to the shrine, the torii gate, and the shimenawa (sacred rope) are all very old, but they appear to have been carefully maintained.

There are hardly any fallen leaves. Let alone man-made trash.

It seems to be cleaned many times a day.

"Brother Yusuke," Yoshiyuki asked, looking at the shrine with some curiosity, "who manages the shrine that enshrines the cherry blossom goddess, Hatsuyuki? Are there any resident shrine maidens?"

"Yes, I did. I even went to greet her on behalf of the Yoda family." Yusuke nodded and said contentedly, "She lives in the shrine. She's going to be a first-year high school student this year. If we run into each other, I'll introduce you! You're both shrine maidens, you'll definitely have a lot in common."

"I see." Erina looked somewhat expectant. "Is there only one shrine maiden in the shrine?"

"Yeah. That shrine maiden was quite pitiful." Yusuke said with a sigh, "Her father was killed by a yokai many years ago. But at least when I first came here in my first year of high school, she still had her mother to rely on. As a result, she passed away last year... and her body was buried under the cherry blossom tree."

"That big tree?" Erina felt a little uneasy after hearing the story, so she looked up at it again.

"Yes. She contracted severe leukemia shortly after giving birth and should have passed away ten years ago. It was thanks to the blessing of the cherry blossom goddess Hatsuyuki that her death was postponed until her daughter was able to take care of herself, at which point she finally succumbed to her illness."

As Yusuke said this, he smiled brightly again.

"Oh dear, I've noticed the atmosphere is a bit melancholic. But, it really depends on how you interpret it! Try to see the positive side. For example, look up!"

The two of them looked up together with Yusuke.

Cherry blossoms from the Hatsuyuki Shrine on the mountaintop would occasionally drift down with the wind and into Sakurajima Academy.

The beautiful scenery left Yixing speechless for a moment.

"The cherry blossoms have fallen, and some people are saddened by it." Yusuke said softly, his hands in his pockets, watching the scene. "But the sight of them falling from the sky is just too beautiful... isn't it?"

"Huh?" Erina paused for a moment, then retorted, "I thought you were going to say that although the cherry blossoms are beautiful, cleaning up the school would be a hassle!"